Yu Tang frowned slightly when he heard Mrs. Chen's scolding.

You know what, what Mrs. Chen said does make sense.

The house was robbed twice, both times when Yu Wen was not at home.

How could it be such a coincidence?

Chen also thought it was a coincidence, so she took Yu Tang to Yu Bo's house, wanting to invite Yu Yuan to stay at home for a few days when Yu Wen was not around.

Yu Bo was still busy with the shop, Wang agreed immediately and discussed with Chen: "Why don't we arrange Atang's marriage as soon as possible? With someone in your house, those people won't dare to come in and out casually."

Their family is just too small.

Chen sighed and said, "We have to wait until the child of the Wei family turns 77! They are kind and we can't be too impatient. Atang can wait."

Wang sighed and asked the servant to move some of Yuyuan's usual things over.

If a neighbor saw it, he would inevitably ask a few questions.

Chen told the neighbor about her family's affairs, and the neighbor also sighed a few times and comforted Chen: "It's good that your family has found a son-in-law."

"Thank you for your good words!"

Chen exchanged a few polite words with his neighbor, then went back home and cleaned up the guest room.

Yu Tang squatted in the corridor and played with Xiao Huang, but he was thinking about Pei Yan in his heart.

This man is so arrogant, he makes conclusions without knowing much and doesn't listen to people's explanations. The huge Pei family industry fell into his hands, and I don't know how he managed to support it.

Yu Tang sighed quietly, feeling that he had been unlucky this year and had had very bad luck recently.

She was holding Xiao Huang and stroking his fur gently when two yamen runners came to the door. They said they had received instructions from their master to hang out around here more often when patrolling the streets.

Mrs. Chen thanked them again and again, invited them in for tea, and told Shuangtao to buy some snacks.

Not only did these two people live in Lin'an City for generations, but they also inherited their jobs from generation to generation. Although they worked in the government, they acted with moderation, not being lenient when it was necessary to be greedy, and willing to help when it was necessary. On weekdays, they also walked around as neighbors with the prominent families in the city.

Seeing that Mrs. Chen spoke sincerely, Yu Wen, who had always had a reputation for being kind in Lin'an City, did not hesitate to sit in front of the hall in the front yard, drink tea, and chat with Mrs. Chen.

"It's strange. This area has always been quiet and peaceful, but how come your house was robbed, and it was robbed twice in a row. Could it be that they succeeded in robbing you last time and are keeping your house in mind?" asked one of them named Li.

Mrs. Chen said, "That shouldn't be the case! We didn't lose anything last time. Besides, everyone knows that we have done a lot of good things in a row and have used up all the money in the house. For example, even for Mr. Lu's funeral, our old man borrowed a few taels of silver from Tong the shopkeeper! If you want to steal, you shouldn't have come to our house!"

Another yamen runner named Wang said, "Something must have been lost that you don't know about. Based on my experience, if they didn't steal anything, they wouldn't have come to your house twice in just a few days. Most likely someone has been eyeing something, and they came again this time because they failed to steal it last time."

Yu Tang deeply agrees with this.

But, what is it that has been on people’s minds?

She thought of Yu Wen’s study.

Could it be that there is some heirloom in their family that even her father doesn't know about?

She told Chen about it.

Chen laughed and said, "Before your grandfather passed away, the family property was clearly divided. After your grandfather took off his mourning clothes, your uncle and your father officially separated. Your uncle is a careful person. He was afraid that he couldn't explain it clearly when dividing the family property, so he not only invited the head of the family, but also invited two neighbors. If there was anything, it would have been coveted by others a long time ago. Why wait until now?"

Yu Tang recalled that in his previous life, the new neighbor who moved next door to the Li family disliked the camphor tree planted in the yard, and ended up digging out a box of silver under the camphor tree...

Since she had nothing to do anyway and Chen didn't urge her to embroider these days, she simply went to help her father tidy up the study.

The lion-shaped rolling embroidered ball thrown under the bookcase, the dusty "Abandoned Golden Hairpin" on the top of the cabinet, and the "Inscriptions on the Stele of Madam Wei" spread on the small desk next to it... Yu Tang even found a box of Cao's Purple Cloud Ink Tablets in the corner of the study.

She took the opportunity to help sort out her father's manuscripts, calligraphy and paintings.

When Chen came in, he saw calligraphy and painting papers, ink, poetry and picture books all over the floor. It was a mess as if the house had been robbed. Yu Tang, on the other hand, was leaning against the bookshelf, reading a book intently, with a smile on his face.

"You kid!" Chen said with a smile as she picked up the books on the floor. "I think you are more powerful than that thief. Look at this room. There is no place to step."

Yu Tang put down the book in his hand with a smile, picked up a dirty purse and said, "Mom, guess what's in it?"

"What is it?" Chen smiled and made way for it.

"This is a picture I drew for you when I was little." She ran over happily and showed it to Chen. "I remember I told her to keep it well, but it got lost somehow. I found it today. Look, there are words I wrote on it."

Chen took it and looked at it, and saw the word "first" written crookedly on it.

She also remembered and couldn't help but smile and said, "This is the first pattern I asked you to draw."

Yu Tang nodded repeatedly and said, "I didn't expect that I was hiding in my father's study at that time."

Chen smiled and said, "Your father's study needs to be cleaned up."

The mother and daughter were chatting and laughing while tidying up things in the study.

The fake painting that Lu Xin sold to their family rolled out from a compartment.

"Why is it placed here?" Chen murmured, wanting to put it back to its original place.

Yu Tang felt it was unlucky and said, "The person is gone, why keep it? I will take it to Tong's pawnshop tomorrow. Tong said that the painting can still be sold for a few taels of silver. At least it can supplement our family expenses. In order to arrange his funeral, my father borrowed money from Tong. If I can make up for the money Tong borrowed, the painting can be considered to be returned to its original owner."

Chen thought this was a good idea and said with a smile, "You are the only one who has many clever ideas."

Yu Tang wrinkled his nose playfully and took the scroll back to his room.

In the middle of the night, they were awakened by Xiao Huang's cry, and Yu Yuan's angry shout came from the study: "Who are you? You came to our house to steal things!"

Yu Tang ran out with his clothes on and saw Yu Yuan fighting with a thin man in black.

"Caught a thief! Caught a thief!" Yu Tang shouted loudly.

The people next door were awakened by the noise.

The lights gradually brightened, and the quiet Qingzhu Lane became noisy.

Neighbors ran over with sticks or kitchen knives.

The man in black was caught.

Mrs. Chen came over with an oil lamp.

The thief turned out to be a boy from their Qingzhu Lane.

Everyone was shocked.

Master Wu angrily sent someone to call the boy's parents and said, "Your family must be informed that people like you must be expelled from the family."

The boy was so scared that he burst into tears and hugged Master Wu's thigh, begging for mercy: "Please don't tell my family. I was framed. I just wanted to steal a few taels of silver. I didn't mean to hurt anyone, and I don't dare to hurt anyone!"

Mr. Wu was unmoved and said, "Being framed?! Who could have framed you? I see that you have never been a good person, so now you have evil intentions. People like you, keeping them here will only harm others and yourself!"

As he was scolding her, the boy's mother came. Seeing this, she knelt down in front of Chen and begged for mercy for her son: "As long as you don't send me to the government, I'll do anything you say."

Chen was in a very difficult situation.

If we don't punish this guy, their house won't be robbed for nothing; if we punish this guy, how will we get along with their family members in the future after we have lived next to each other for so many years and have seen each other every day?

Yu Tang looked at it and his heart moved.

She didn't know this boy very well, but when his mother kowtowed just now, he turned his face away, as if he couldn't bear to look at it any longer, and did not plead with Mr. Wu.

She walked over.

The boy was crying silently.

Yu Tang was thinking in his heart, this kid got into such a big trouble and his father didn't even come.

I don't know if it's because I don't have a father or my father doesn't care?

Whether it is the former or the latter, both can be utilized.

She pulled Chen's sleeve and whispered, "The neighbors have all come to help. Please invite them to the house for a cup of tea. My eldest cousin is here. Tie up this kid and let A Tiao guard him until my father comes back."

Chen thought this was a good idea. After discussing it with Yu Yuan, he invited everyone into the house for tea.

Everyone saw that the matter was over. Who would still have the mood to drink tea in the middle of the night? They thanked Chen one after another and said goodbye.

Chen gratefully saw them off one by one.

Only the boy's mother sat paralyzed on the ground, crying silently, as if she had lost her parents.

Mr. Wu was a little worried and said, "Why don't we ask our servant to come over and help."

"Thank you very much!" Yu Yuan bowed respectfully to Master Wu again and said, "I don't need to. It's getting late. I'll come to thank you tomorrow when my uncle comes back."

Seeing that Yu Yuan had acted in a thorough manner, Mr. Wu nodded, put his hands behind his back and went home.

The boy's mother kept kowtowing to Chen and begging for mercy.

The boy cried so hard that his whole body was convulsing.

Yu Tang pointed at the boy's mother and said to him, "Look, what you did has implicated your mother. If the people don't sue, the officials won't investigate. Tell me the truth, what are you doing in our house? If you tell me the truth, I will ask my father to let you go. Then your mother won't have to be looked down upon and can't hold her head up for the rest of her life."

After hearing this, the boy looked up at Yu Tang with a hesitant look.

Yu Tang knew what was going on and continued, "Stealing is the most useless thing. Look at the family rules and regulations. Which family can tolerate thieves who steal things? My father is just like Master Wu. He hates this kind of thing the most. He may not report it to the police, but he will definitely ask your family to expel you from the house and remove your name. When your mother dies, there will be no one to offer incense to her..."

The boy burst into tears again, and he choked up and said, "My father gambled outside and sold the ancestral home. I just wanted to make a few taels of silver to rent a house."

Yu Tang sighed, "Then I have nothing to say. Just wait for my father to come back and hand you over to the government, and then go find your family elders."

"No, no." The boy hurriedly said, "Miss Yu, if you give me five taels of silver, no, give me three taels, and I will tell you."

Yu Tang remained calm and said, "You are still lying to me! I don't have even a tael of silver, you can tell me if you want." After saying that, he stood up and acted as if he was going to call someone.

The boy panicked and said hurriedly: "Someone gave me five taels of silver and asked me to steal a painting from your house... Don't send me to the authorities, I didn't steal it..."